TFM 35

Chapter 35

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Without a moment's hesitation, Edric leapt into the carriage and scooped the woman up in his arms. Her body was alarmingly light. And damp with lukewarm sweat.

He hastily brushed the golden hair clinging to her face back and lightly tapped her pale cheek.

In that instant, the long golden lashes that had cast a shadow over her cheek fluttered upward, revealing deep, intense blue eyes.

He held his breath without realizing it. Those eyes, blue as a swamp, seemed to suck in his soul.

Staring down at those eyes with a dazed expression, a sudden burning sensation spread across his right cheek.

He clutched his face with one hand and blinked blankly. The woman who had slipped from his embrace in an instant shot him a look as if he were a shameless man.

"How dare you lay your filthy hands on me?"

Edric, his mouth agape, raised his voice in indignation.

"I thought Your Highness had lost consciousness...!"

"Thought she was unconscious and planned to do something foolish, did you?"

"How could you say such a thing...!"

Edric, his face flushed, abruptly stood up only to slam his head against the carriage ceiling and immediately crouched back down.

Anger at the princess's insulting words and the throbbing pain in his head made tears well up.

He clutched his head and groaned for a long while. The princess, watching him with a look of pity, rubbed her temples and gestured with her chin.

"Enough. Stop bothering me and get out."

"Don't be like that. Come outside for a moment and get some air. We have to travel for at least half a day more. How long do you plan to stay cooped up in this sweltering place?"

Edric, who had been rubbing his crown, muttered with a sullen face. It was blunt advice delivered with the resolve to take another blow.

The princess glared at him with an exasperated look. She seemed utterly baffled that he wouldn't stop nagging her.

Edric bit back the urge to snap, "Do you think I'm interfering because I like you?"

Though not his own choice, this reckless princess was under his responsibility. If she collapsed during the journey, dealing with the aftermath would also fall to him.

He stared straight into her fierce face, prepared to drag her out by force if necessary.

As if fed up with his attitude, the woman finally straightened up.

He brightened and stepped down from the carriage first. Then, extending a hand to escort her, the princess slammed the door shut right in his face.

Staring at the firmly closed door with a stunned expression, Edric finally resigned himself and turned away.

'…… have no idea what exactly is bothering her.'

He let out a heavy sigh and trudged slowly toward the lakeshore.

While he washed his sweat-drenched face in the ice-cold water and rested in the shade of a tree, the stubborn princess didn't even show her face.

Was she on guard, afraid someone might harm her?

Her overly sharp demeanor reminded him of a trapped animal.

He stared at the carriage with a puzzled look, then shook his head to shake off the pointless thoughts.

Why bother trying to understand a woman like that?

If he could just endure until this journey ended, he too would be freed from this tedious duty.

The Second Princess constantly replaced her knights of the guard, so his turn would come soon enough. He just had to endure until then.

Edric encouraged himself as he sat down with the knights in the shade of a tree. They ate a simple meal of wine and bread, rested for a while, then mounted their horses again.

After noon, the air gradually grew cooler.

The pilgrims, their spirits renewed, continued their vigorous march along the Caesar Mountains, which divided the western and northeastern regions. Thanks to their diligent travel, by sunset they reached the Sinai Plains, the former territory of the Kingdom of Balto.

"We'll camp here tonight."

Varkas surveyed the ranks and gave the order in a low voice.

Edric looked at him with half-dazed eyes. Despite riding all day, Varkas seemed unchanged from when they had set out.

Stepping down from his horse with not a hint of disarray, the commander scanned the surroundings with a sharp gaze and said.

"Set up a defensive perimeter near the campsite and post sentries."

The knights immediately obeyed the order.

Edric also began work on erecting a fence around the camp. A fleeting thought crossed his mind that it might be an excessive measure, but the Sinai Plains were home to numerous monsters.

While large armies rarely suffered ambushes, caution never hurt.

He retrieved iron-studded planks from the supply wagon, secured them to the ground, and wrapped a rope with small bells around them.

After several hours of diligent work, they completed a temporary defensive perimeter encircling the camp.

Brushing dirt from his hands, he moved toward the campfire. While they had been setting up the defenses, the princess's attendants had finished preparing dinner.

Clutching his hungry stomach, he approached the campfire where meat was roasting. Snatching a small piece of bacon, he popped it into his mouth and asked one of the maids.

"Has the princess's meal been prepared and brought?"

The young-faced maid, stirring a large pot with a ladle, looked at him with a flustered expression.

"Well... she said she wasn't hungry..."

Edric, wiping the oil from his hands with a towel, frowned.

So she skipped lunch and planned to starve herself at dinner too?

Irritation welled up at the princess, who acted like a child over every little thing.

He tossed the damp towel carelessly onto the floor and picked up an empty basket.

"Fill this with something decent to eat."

The maid promptly filled it with a large slice of pie, bacon stew, wine, and preserved fruit, leaving nothing out.

He tucked the basket, now overflowing with food, under his arm and headed toward the princess's small fortress.

He knew perfectly well there was no point in forcing food on someone who stubbornly refused to eat. But the memory of that woman's body, so light it felt almost unpleasant, made it impossible for him to stay still.

Cursing his own meddlesome nature, he knocked on the carriage door.

"Your Highness, I've brought your supper."

"I told you I won't eat."

"You've been practically starving all day. How do you expect to endure such a grueling journey without eating properly? Even if you have no appetite, please try to eat something."

"I said no, so get out!"

Edric grimaced. Even a hedgehog wouldn't bristle its quills this fiercely. Summoning his patience, he forced himself to speak calmly.

"Very well, I'll leave it here. If you change your mind..." 

As Edric bent to set down the basket, he flinched and stepped back. Without warning, the door burst open, filling his vision with a fierce, frozen, snow-white face.

He swallowed hard, meeting those blue eyes that shone vividly even in the sunset glow.